When NOS And Blood Mix
by hellomitsubishi
Summary: When Mandy Carlton's perfect life shatters, will she be able to hold on or be left behind?
1. Normal For Her

**AN: Alrighty, I know that my summary and my title kinda suck a bit, read and review. This is just something I had on my mind for awhile, and noticed that there weren't enough Brian fics. Also, I know I don't make it clear here, but Brian is younger than he is in the movies. He went to police academy at 18, and because of his past in Barstow and his experience with cars, he was specially picked for the job in LA. So in my story, he's about 21-23. **

**Chapter 1: Normal For Her**

Mandy Carlton sat impatiently in her biology class while Mr. Pinkles droned on about the anatomy of a frog. _Please! Like I really need to know that!_ She let her mind wander to her favorite thing-her car. Her 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R. She loved it, it was powerful and fun to race in.

Finally the bell rang, and Mandy jumped up and gathered her things. She made it out the door quickly and shoved her stuff into her locker, then made her way to the cafeteria. She took one look at the tacos then decided just to have a salad. She made one and sat down in her usual spot, opening a car magazine. Before long a teenage boy sat down across from her. She smiled as she closed the magazine.

"Hey baby", she greeted him.

"Hey Mands. How's it going today?"

"Shane! Come on man! Mands? I'll be fine if you stop calling me Mands."

Shane smiled and chuckled. "Alright. Hey, you wanna go out tonight?" Mandy sighed. She wanted to, but she couldn't, not tonight of all nights, tonight was the drift race, and she and her Skyline were almost unbeatable at the drift races.

"I can't babe. I gotta clean the house for my mom."

"Well, since your mom works nights, I'll just come over and help", Shane said, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

"Babe! You know I won't get _anything _done if you come. I like cleaning the house alone, it gives me time to think."

Shane sighed and gripped her hand under the table. "Alright, but we _do _need to go out sometime."

"Yes! Of course we do! Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me."

They talked a little bit more, then the bell rang and Mandy went back to her classes. She stayed late after school for cheerleading practice. She loved the feel of her body being forced through the air, and her body was certainly worthy of the scanty outfit.

When she finished, she showered and walked out to her car. She grabbed the note stuck under the wiper. **Tomorrow. Xoxoxoxo.** She tossed it in her car as she got in and started it up, loving the way the turbo-chargers sounded.

When she got home, she found that her mother's car was still in the driveway. Her mother worked nights as an RN at the ER. She walked in and set her things down on the table that was already cluttered with miscellaneous junk.

"Mandy! Is that you", her mother called from the kitchen.

She walked into the kitchen and gave her mother a hug, then reached in the fridge for a Full Throttle.

"How was school?"

"Sucked. Like usual. Don't you need to be going mom? You don't want to be late again."

Her mother looked at the clock and swore loudly. Her mother looked tired, she usually did. She kept working 12 hour shifts and she seldom took days off.

"Yeah, I need to be going. Get yourself to bed at a decent hour."

_Yeah, whatev._ Mandy smiled and waved good bye to her mom. She watched as her mother pulled her car out of the driveway and drove off. Then Mandy went upstairs to get dressed for her night time activities.

She put on tight black leather pants, and black knee-high heel boots. Then she put on a black leather corset top. The torso part stopped right below her breasts, and the sleeve continued down her wrists and had a finger loop for her middle fingers. She ran a brush through her hair, letting it fall gently around her shoulders.

She smiled at her reflection, then grabbed her keys and left. She pulled up to the racing spot and parked her car on the start line. This kind of racing took place among teenagers, there were never adults here. Mandy couldn't wait until she could get into the adult racing scene. It would be way more challenging then, and she _loved _challenging races.

She revved her engine as the starter held up her arms, then slammed the gas pedal when she brought her arms down. This was normal for Mandy, this is what she lived for.


	2. Proven Fatal

**Chapter 2: Proven Fatal**

Mandy ended up winning that night, and it was 2 in the morning before she stumbled to her bed and was asleep before she hit the pillow. She woke up several hours later to her alarm clock's annoying, shrill beeping.

She slapped it to make it shut up, then crawled out of bed. She sighed and sat in front of the fan, pushing her hair back from her face. Miami weather was just miserable in early summer, and they couldn't afford central air.

As she walked past her window, she immediately noticed that her mother's car wasn't in the driveway. Her mother was usually home by 530, but sometimes she had to stay late if they got swamped.

Mandy shrugged and went downstairs and poured herself a cup of coffee and a bowl of cheerios. She was about to leave for school when someone started knocking on the door. She opened it, thinking her mother had once again lost her keys. She was surprised when she saw two uniformed police officers on her doorstep. _Shit! Did someone ID me last night?_

"Ms. Mandy Carlton", one of them asked.

Mandy nodded.

"May we come in Ms. Carlton?" Mandy nodded again and stepped aside.

"Ms. Carlton, we are unhappy to inform you that your mother, Mrs. Alice Carlton was involved in a rollover vehicle collision this morning on the highway. Her injuries proved fatal."

Mandy couldn't believe what they were saying. _No! No! Mom can't be dead, she just can't be! This must be a mistake! _The officers were saying other things, but she didn't hear them. Finally, they left.

Mandy, being already late for school just sat back down at the table, staring straight ahead, yet seeing nothing, in an almost catatonic state. She was jarred out of her thinking when her phone started ringing. She tried to hold back her sobs as she answered.

"Yeah Shane?"

"Babe! Where are you? We were supposed to go out tonight. I know a really good Italian restaurant."

"Shane, I'm sorry. I can't. My mom died this morning." She hung up, not giving him time to answer. She looked at the clock, then went up to her room and got dressed in her street clothes again. She needed to go out tonight, she needed the familiarity of it.

She parked her car and got out and sat on the hood. She didn't really plan on racing tonight, just watching. She noticed 4 adults on the sidelines. They certainly didn't look like cops, but she was curious none the less. There was a tall Asian woman, a tall, broad, bald black man, a shorter black man, and a tall blonde man. The blonde man was looking at her, but the rest weren't paying her any attention.

"Yo Mandy", someone called to her. "You racing tonight?"

She smiled as she thought. "Sure. 500 buy in."

She pulled her car up to the line and got ready. She hadn't planned on racing, but for some reason she wanted to show off for the adults. She slammed on the gas as the race started, and at the end, she came to a sliding stop in front of the adults and the winnings holder.

The holder handed over her money, and she didn't stick around for long. She was a party girl, but right now, she wanted to be home. As she fell on the bed, she wondered again who the adults were and what they wanted.


	3. Changes

**Chapter 3: Changes**

Mandy was woken up in the morning by someone banging on her door. She looked through the peephole and was surprised to see her Aunt Alicia on her doorstep. Alicia was her mother's 28-year-old sister. She had never really matured. She still dressed and acted like a rebellious teen. Out of all her relatives, she was Mandy's favorite.

"How are you", Mandy greeted her.

"Not so good. Heard about my sister. She had me listed as caretaker for you, so here I am. I know that your 18, but I thought might want some company for a while."

The mention of Mandy's mother saddened her considerably, and Alicia stepped up and hugged her. Mandy stepped aside and let her aunt in. They spent the rest of the day talking, and they agreed that Mandy didn't have to go back to school until Monday, 4 days away.

Mandy stayed away from the streets that night. She wasn't sure how her aunt would react to that. Yeah, her aunt was a party girl, but was she that extreme? She didn't want to take a chance.

The next day was spent cleaning, then Alicia had to leave for her job. She worked a short night shift bartending at a nightclub. That's when Mandy decided to make her comeback on the streets. She got dressed and left. When she arrived, she noticed that the adults were once again present, the blonde still looking at her. She sat on the hood and tried to show off her body as much as possible. Finally the blonde began to approach her.

"Nice car. I used to have a Skyline", he said as he walked up.

"Thanks. So why are you and your friends here? I never see you race."

He chuckled a little bit, flashing a mouthful of white teeth. "Well, we're not here to race. We're here to watch…and offer."

"Go on."

"Me and my friends, we're pretty influential in the adult street racing scene, and we recently lost a team mate."

"So you're here drafting racers?"

"Yeah, pretty much. What's your name?"

"Mandy Carlton. Yours?"

"Brian O'Conner. Why don't you come by tomorrow afternoon and all of us can talk", he said, handing her a piece of paper that had directions on it. She smiled as she took it, tucking it away in her bra.

"Alright Brian, looking forward to it."

She didn't stick around after that, but unfortunately, Alicia still beat her home. When she got home, it was pouring rain, and Alicia was sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette.

"Where have you been", she asked as Mandy ducked under the porch for cover.

"Out with friends."

Alicia nodded as she exhaled smoke through her nose. "You know, I used to date a guy with a car like that. He was street-racer." She shook her head in thought for a moment. "Good night."

Mandy pushed through the door and went upstairs. _What the hell is that supposed to mean? Does she know I'm on the streets? And I doubt that he had a Skyline. There is a difference._

The next day, Mandy left the house around 2 and followed Brian's directions to a place called Tej's Garage. There were a ton of import street cars outside and she smiled as she parked. _This is what I'm talking about._

She walked up to the front desk and asked for Brian O'Conner. The man smiled and hollered for Brian, who emerged from a back room, looking a little dirty.

"Mandy! Glad to see you. Follow me." He turned and led her back the way he came. Eventually they emerged into an open garage area were there were several imports up on jacks.

"So how much do you know about cars?"

"Not too much. I work on mine, but nothing major."

"Wait a sec while I gather the others."

She waited by the green Evo XII he had led her too, and soon he came back with the rest behind him.

"You must be Mandy", the shorter black man greeted her. "Follow us girl." They led her into what looked like a break room, then the short black man spoke again.

"I'm Tej, I own this place. You've already met Brian, that's Roman Peirce", he said pointing to the tall black man. "And that's Suki", he finished, motioning to the Asian woman.

"Damn girl! I saw you race and you smoked them without even using NOS! Call me Rome by the way", Roman said, stuffing some muffin into his mouth.

"Girl, we brought you here to offer you a deal. Recently we lost a team member, and we're looking to fill her absence. I like bringing fresh meat to the streets, and you've got talent, a lot of talent and potential. We would like you to work for us."

"What exactly does that entail? I just have to race for you guys?"

"If you want", Suki jumped in. "You have to give the team half your winnings, but you only have to cover half the buy in. And if you want, you could help us out here in the garage. You'd stop racing the little leagues and race with the adults."

Mandy smiled as she thought. She had wanted this for a long time, she had wanted to race with the adults and it couldn't hurt to learn how to work on cars. Vehicle mechanics is just something high-schools don't teach to cheerleaders.

"I'm in."

Brian stood up quickly, pushing his chair behind him, and he held up his fist. The rest held their fists up to meet his, and then Brian grabbed her wrist and brought her hand up to meet the rest.

She stuck around for a couple hours, Brian showing her the ropes of the garage. The green Evo was his, and she had to admit, that it was an awesome car. She told them that she didn't have her Skyline hooked up with NOS, so that was something they had to address before she was expected to race with the adults, because all of them were running NOS, some even ran on NitroMeth.

"There's a race Sunday. I'll text you some directions. I wouldn't recommend you race, but you should definitely come and check it out."

Mandy sobered up. "I can't. I'm sorry. I have a funeral to attend." Fortunately, when Mandy got home, Alicia didn't have any other questions for her. She _was _trying to give Mandy her space, but sometimes, it was hard for her. Tonight though, she decided to not ask questions, even though she had several on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she had Mandy help make supper then they sat down to a movie.


	4. Raise From The Shadows

**AN: Okay, so to clear up some things in the reviews:**

**Deviant Reviewer: In my story, I meant to have Brian quite a bit younger than he is in the movies, and I suppose I didn't make that clear. In my story, he went to police academy at 18, and when he graduated, because of his past in Barstow and experience with cars, he got specially selected for the LA job. So in here, he's about 21-23. And Mandy is supposed to graduate that year, so she's actually 18. Sorry, I got the ages wrong. My computer messed up when I was publishing it and it smooshed the sentences together. Thanks for your review even though I could do without the flames.**

**Twanda: Thanks for your encouraging review! I tried to alter these chapters as per your opinion. Let me know if I got it! I do not have a steady connection to the internet, so updates may be a bit long in coming. **

**I hope that this has cleared up some confusion. I have fixed the first 3 chapters, and altered them slightly if you would like to reread them. Pleez R&R…less flames please.**

**Chapter 4: Rise From The Shadows**

Mandy woke up Sunday morning to see rain pounding her window. She sighed and pushed back her covers, swinging her legs to the ground. She stood up and looked out her window, leaning up against the wall a little bit.

Just a few short days ago, she had looked out this same window and seen her mother's car parked in the driveway, only to have it ripped away from her the next day. She had chosen to not hear the details of the collision, she didn't want to know. Her mother had certainly shared her daughter's passion for cars. She had tried her best to get Mandy everything she needed for her Skyline.

She sighed and moved away from the window, dressing in all black. Today was a sad day, a day full of shadows waiting to consume her fragile mind, the control center for her emotions.

She walked downstairs to find Alicia sipping coffee at the kitchen table, but Mandy saw the tear streaks. When she saw her, she stood up and embraced Mandy, and held her tight. Then she grabbed her car keys.

"You know", Mandy interjected. "Mom worked really hard to get me that car, and she loved it almost as much as I do. I would like to take it to her funeral."

Alicia thought for a moment, then nodded and set her own keys down. Mandy grabbed her keys and headed out door. She sighed as she looked at the paint job. She had a black Skyline with metallic silver decals in the shape of smoke coming from her tires and running down the sides. Her and her mom had picked that design out, and together they had altered it slightly.

She got in and started it up, Alicia sliding in the passenger side. She shifted to 1st and then pressed on the accelerator, making her tires spin slightly. Alicia glanced over at her and smiled a bit.

Mandy sat next to Alicia as someone from the funeral home held an umbrella over them. The rain had not relented, and it seemed almost ironic that the weather fit both of their moods. Mandy let a few tears fall when she placed a dark red rose on top of her mother's casket, letting her wood rest on the cool wood for a second before moving away. The tear-flow picked up as they lowered the casket into the ground. Both Mandy and Alicia were solemn on the drive home, Mandy trying to concentrate on her driving, speeding to upwards of 80. She knew her mother liked to go fast, one thing that both of them had shared.

When they got home, they both changed, then Alicia left. She had to work a full 8 hour shift tonight. Mandy surprised her by coming and giving her a hug goodbye. Mandy sat around the house for a good 30 minutes before she became bored. She didn't want her mind to go blank, because then she would think of her mother.

She sighed as she got out her phone and scrolled through the phonebook. Finally she found Brian's number and dialed it.

"Mandy", he picked up on the second ring, sounding surprised.

"Hey Brian. I was wondering if the race was still on tonight and if I could still get directions. I feel like going out tonight."

"Oh really? Great. The location was moved, it's right out in front of Tej's Garage."

"Be there in a sec." She got dressed in her street clothes and sped over to Tej's Garage. She loved what she saw. The 'little leagues' as Brian and the rest had called them, was _nothing _compared to this. There were so many more cars, _much_ nicer cars. _This _was the streets.

She parked the car and got out. She locked the doors then went to find Brian, soon she saw him sitting next to Suki in front of Tej's. She walked over and when he saw her, he jumped up and gave her a hug.

"Good to see you girl." She smiled as Suki got up and hugged her too.

"I think I'm gonna go find Tej, make sure he stays out of trouble", she said, giving Brian a wink.

Mandy sat down in the now empty chair next to Brian.

"How often do you guys do this", she asked.

"As often as we can. In summer it's sometimes every day. That's why I love summer. You okay girl? You told me you had a funeral today."

Mandy sobered up considerably, feeling herself slip deeper into the shadows. She knew she had to raise from the shadows. "Yeah, I'm fine. Who's racing tonight?"

"Roman. He's the one in the Spyder. I know that Damian is in the Supra, I'm not sure about the RX-7 or the Silvia."

Mandy noticed Tej making his way toward them and he smiled at her as he approached.

"Hey Mandy! I was wondering if you wanted to start them off tonight?"

"Really?" Mandy had never before started a race, but it couldn't be that hard to swing your arms down.

"Why not?" She smiled at him and went to stand in the middle of the four cars. She held her hands high above her head, then brought them down, curling her body into a ball as the cars shot past her. It was incredible. She stood up and turned around, watching the cars' retreating tail-lights.

Roman didn't win, but he came in a very close second. Mandy stayed and partied with them until 1 in the morning. She noticed that Brian stayed pretty close to her and watched out for her. _How can a guy care this much? Especially one as hot as him?_

The next day was Monday, and that meant back to school for Mandy. She parked her car in her usual place and got out, her eye's sweeping the students for Shane. She finally spotted him leaning against the walls next to the doors.

She grabbed her bag and made her way towards him, knowing that she had some explaining to do. When she approached him she stopped a little ways away and looked at him, smiling a bit.

"Come here", he said, his voice stern.

Mandy approached him, and he pushed himself from the wall and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't say anything, didn't demand an explanation. They walked down the halls together, his arm slung around her shoulders. She did her school as usual and was thankful that Shane was giving everyone a _very _clear 'back off' look.

She skipped cheerleading practice and walked out to the parking lot. She was surprised to see Brian's Evo parked next to her Skyline. She walked out to her car and started unlocking the door as Brian got out.

"What are you doing here", she asked when she heard his door slam.

"Came to check on you."

Her breath caught and she dropped her keys, forcing her to bend over and pick them from the mud.

"Why do you care so much", she finally managed to force out.

"I don't know. Also, there's another race tonight. It's the same place, and Suki's racing tonight, should be a good show."

"What time?"

"9."

"I'll try and make it."

"You know Mandy, you're family now. If you need anything, just let me know. I don't know why I care about you so much, but I do."

Mandy gasped as her heart fluttered again. She had never heard something like that come from a guy before, and certainly not directed towards her. Just because she was a cheerleader and had a nice body, everyone took for a slut, and therefore took her as their property. Including Shane.

"Thank you."

Brian nodded and got back in his car, then sped away.

"Who was that? You're new boyfriend", Shane said from behind her.

She spun around to face him. "For fuck's sake Shane! You know me better than that! You _know_ I wouldn't do something like that."

"Do I?" Shane turned and walked away. She sighed and got in her car, heading for home. Alicia left soon after her arrival for another shift at the night club. Mandy sighed and got in her outfit and went over to Tej's Garage. She spotted Brian standing this time, and snuck behind him, surprising him with a hug.

"Hey there! Just in time for the show."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a light hug. He looked down at her then smiled and winked. She laughed a little bit, and he knew damn good and well that if he did that, she would laugh. He had never met someone that hadn't laughed at his smile/wink face.

Suki won, and Mandy stayed over and partied with them until 2 in the morning. She ended driving home relatively intoxicated, and she knew that she reeked of party. To her dismay, her aunt was waiting up for her return.

"Don't even tell me that you were with friends until 2 in the damn morning", Alicia said. "Is that alcohol I smell on your breath?"

Mandy tried to push past her, not wanting to have this conversation tonight, but Alicia successfully blocked her path.

"Mandy! What the hell? Do you think that your mother would approve of this behavior?"

"Who the hell are you to tell me how to live my damn life? How in the fuck would you know what my mother would want?"

"She wouldn't want you drinking yourself into a stupor one damn day after her funeral! Do you even know who the hell your mother was?"

"Yeah, an ER nurse."

Alicia shook her head in disbelief. "Maybe you need to find yourself, and to do that, maybe you should find her."

Alicia shook her head one more time and then turned around and went upstairs. Mandy shook her head in disbelief, still standing in the open door. _What the fuck? How is figuring out the life of an ER nurse gonna help me? _

Mandy finally snapped out of it and went up to her room. She grabbed some bags from the hall closet and stuffed as many belongings as possible into them. She left a note for Alicia, then left. She had no intention whatsoever of returning to that house ever again.

She went over to Shane's and parked her car on the curb. Shane was over eighteen, and he lived in an apartment that his parents paid for. She was a bit confused when she saw a car that she had never seen before parked on the curb.

She used her key and let herself in. She was greeted by a lot of loud music. His usual obnoxious techno music. She made her way up to his bedroom, opened the door, then stepped back when her eyes registered the sight in front of her.

She cleared her throat so Shane and the other woman on the bed would notice her. When Shane stopped and looked up, his eyes widened.

"Mandy! It's not what you think! I swear!"

"So what then, Shane? She fell and you tripped?"

Mandy didn't stick around for his explanation. She turned on her heel and walked back out the door. She got back in her car and started it up, then drove around town for awhile. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what her future would hold.

Finally she stopped in an empty parking lot and sat there for a moment. Then she sighed and got out her phone. She dialed Brian's number and waited, hoping that he would pick up. He finally did on the fourth ring.

"Mandy? Are you alright?"

Mandy sighed before answering. "Yeah, I'm fine. I actually needed a place to stay and was wondering if you could help me out."

"Mandy, sure. For as long as you need. Where are you, I can come and pick you up."

"No, I've got my car, just tell me where to go."

"Go to Tej's Garage, and I'll meet you there."

Mandy hung up and started her car again, taking off for Tej's Garage. When she pulled in she saw Brian waiting for her out front. He motioned for her to park behind the garage, and he followed her car back there. The back had more garages and several docks, opening out into the ocean. She shut her car off and got out, only to be wrapped up in a hug.

"You scared me girl."

Mandy patted his back. "So you live here at the garage?"

"Kinda. I live in that boat right there. Rent's cheap." He shrugged.

He grabbed some of her bags and carried them in there for her, then he grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed one to her.

"I guess you kinda want an explanation don't you", she asked as she sat down on the edge of the boat, dipping her feet into the water.

He sat down beside her. "Yeah, if you wouldn't mind, but if it's personal you don't have to tell me."

She sighed and told him the whole story. When she was done, he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. For the first time in a while, she felt safe, she felt okay. With Brian, she really did feel like she could still make it.


	5. When Life and Love Merge

**Chapter 5: When Life and Love Merge**

Mandy woke up the next morning and realized that Brian had somehow managed to carry her to bed. She lay on her back on a lumpy futon pad with several fans blowing cool air from the window unit on her. She sighed and got up, pulling her shoes back on.

She stumbled out on the porch, then to the deck, and finally she walked into the garage. She noticed that Tej, Brian, Roman, and Suki were already working on the cars. When Brian saw her, he smiled and got up from the car he was working on. He walked forward and handed her a cup of coffee. She smiled gratefully at him as she started drinking it.

"Meeting", Tej suddenly hollered, and all work stopped.

Everyone followed Tej to the break room they had been in earlier.

"Alright Mandy, Brian told us most of what happened. We understand the situation your in, and hell, all of us have been in that situation, that's why we all live here. You're welcome to stay and work on the cars and race for us."

Mandy smiled. "That sounds great Tej, all of you. Thank you."

"Now, it's your choice if you want to continue on with school. Since you ran away, I'd suggest that you don't, you graduate in a few months anyway, so you won't miss that much. Plus you're 18, it's up to you."

"I'd rather stay here full time."

Roman smiled. "There's only one catch though."

Mandy raised her eyebrows in his direction. He smiled wider, showing his teeth and laughed.

"You gotta live with Blondie here. We ain't got anywhere else for you." Brian laughed and flipped him off.

"Alright Foolios! Get yo lazy asses back to work. Mandy, you're with Brian."

Mandy smiled and finished her coffee, then got up and followed Brian back out to the garage where they started work on a 2004 Honda S2000. Their job was to install a high-performance NOS injection system. She spent the whole day helping Brian, and she felt happy. Every time Brian laughed, she got lost in the sound, and her eyes were repeatedly wandering within his eyes.

Tej told them that their job for the next day was to install some NOS on her Skyline so she could race with the adults. She fell asleep that night on the guest bed, Brian already passed out on the other bed.

The next night was another race, and this time, Brian was racing. The cars lined up and Mandy walked out to the middle of the two cars. It was gonna be a straight out drag-race. She held her arms up and closed her eyes as the engines revved. She opened her eyes and looked straight into Brian's eyes, which were trained on her as well. She let her arms fall and the cars shot past her.

Mandy walked over and stood next to Tej and Roman as Brian raced. Tej had a little video camera at the finish line and he was watching the feed through his phone. Mandy watched anxiously over his shoulder and yelled when she saw Brian cross the finish line first, only about 3 inches in front of the other guy.

When the racers returned to the crowd, Mandy ran out and hugged Brian, who picked her up and set her on the hood of his car. She smiled and laughed as he took his winnings, then he looked into her eyes.

"You know what you are", he asked her. She shook her head.

"You're my trophy."

The whole team partied till 2 in the morning, then Brian and Mandy stayed up even later, taking the party to their boat. Eventually, they ended up sitting with their legs sticking in the water. He suddenly reached up a brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Her heart sputtered, as if his touch created sparks.

"Mandy…do you know how incredibly beautiful you are? You shouldn't be on the streets, girl." She turned her face and her eye's met his big blue ones. He slowly moved his face towards her, and she closed her eyes and succumbed. She moved her head towards his until their lips met. They crushed together and it was better then anything Mandy had ever experienced. _Way_ better than Shane. His unshaven chin felt rough against her own smooth cheeks and chin, but she didn't care in the least.

His tongue licked her lips, begging to be accepted, and she let it in, greeting it with her own. Brian moaned in satisfaction, and his hand reached up to her cheek, while she tangled her hands in his slightly over-long hair.

Finally, they broke apart and both were breathing heavily. Brian looked at her with big, slightly scared eyes. She broke the awkward moment by smiling and giggling a bit, and Brian's countenance became more relaxed.

"Thank God! I thought you were about to kick my ass. Damn Mandy, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"Don't be sorry, and yes you should have."

She leaned in and kissed him again, and he surrendered to her warm, sweet, beer-flavored tongue. To her, this was as real as it got. He was real to her, unlike Shane, or _any _of the boys at the school. And when she was with him and the team, she felt alive, and she could be herself.


	6. Find Her, Find Her

**Chapter 7: Find Her, Find Her**

_Maybe, you need to find her before you can find yourself_. Mandy shot upright up in bed and shook her head, as if that act could shake the nightmare out of her head. The last words that her aunt had said to her kept echoing in her head though.

"You alright", Brian asked.

He was across the room at the kitchen counter making some coffee. It had been two weeks since she had moved in with him, and she couldn't be happier in her situation. She smiled at the sight her eyes were met with. Brian turned his bare torso around and faced her, waiting for an answer. His jeans were baggy and hitched at his hips with an old leather belt.

"I'm fine", she answered and pushed the blankets away from her as she crawled out of bed. She slipped on some clothes, then got herself a cup of coffee.

She hadn't told Brian about what Alicia had said to her that one fateful night, and she wasn't sure that she wanted too. She herself didn't know what it meant, why would Brian know? She had the feeling that it meant her mother was _not _who she thought she was. But who _was _she?

Mandy sighed and followed Brian to the garage. They started on their current project like they usually did, but during their lunch break, they were definitely interrupted. A cherry red 2008 Ford Mustang pulled in and came to a screeching stop outside in the parking lot. Mandy groaned as she recognized the car, and groaned even louder when she realized who was getting out, and who looked royally pissed. Seeing him again just pissed her off, and she set down her food and stormed out the door.

"Shane! What the fuck are you doing here?"

"What the hell are _you _doing here", he screamed in her face.

"You might wanna take it down a couple notches buddy", Brian said, walking up behind her.

"Who the fuck are you", Shane yelled.

"Me? Oh, I'm nobody, just her boyfriend", Brian smirked.

Shane's face turned from red to purple and then he brought his arm back and punched Brian. Brian was completely unprepared for it and it hit him square on. He fell to the concrete, surprised. Shane tried to get a few more hits in, but Roman rushed out of the garage and tackled the kid.

"What the fuck you think you doin homeboy?"

Rome picked him up and pushed him towards his car. "Get the hell outta here before I kick your sorry ass right here in front of everybody."

Shane spit some blood onto Mandy's car, then got back in his car. Mandy glared at him and flipped him off as he drove by, then she turned to look at Brian. She winced when she saw him.

His cheek had a cut on it and was oozing blood, which was by now starting to drip off his jawbone. His forehead was also bleeding from where he had hit the ground. She led him back to the boat and cleaned him up.

"So…what the hell was that all about? Who was that guy", he asked as she searched around for the first-aid kit.

"That was the guy I caught cheating on me."

"So that's why he punched me when I said I was your boyfriend", Brian laughed.

Mandy whirled around and faced him. "Brian! Damnit! You didn't have to come out there, and you certainly didn't have to brag and get punched. You know, Shane isn't a whimp, he could have seriously hurt you!"

"Hey, hey, hey", Brian said, stepping closer to her. "What did I say? I said I was your boyfriend, and that means that there's no way in hell I'm gonna let a testosterone-fueled teen yell in your face. Its just the kind of guy I am."

Mandy closed her eyes a little bit and sighed, one hand resting on his chest. She bent her head up and gave him a soft, quick, kiss on the lips before pushing him back into the chair.

That night it was Mandy's turn to race. She covered half the buy-in, the buy-in was a total of 10,000, _way _more than it was in the little leagues. She sat in her car, anxiously revving her engine. Her heart beat faster as Suki walked out to the middle and held up her arms.

Suki brought down her arms, and Mandy slammed on the gas. The light on her tachometer went off, and she punched the clutch as she shifted gears. She was in second, a gold Supra blocking her. She pushed the clutch and shifted back to second as she spun around a corner, closely following the Supra.

She stayed right on his ass, and finally, on the last turn, he swung it too wide and she zipped past him. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw the Supra take off, gaining on her quick. She waited until he was right on her ass, then she pressed her own NOS buttons.

Her body was forced back into the seat as her own car took off, leaving the Supra behind. She crossed the finish line, then jerked the wheel and made her car do forward doughnuts as she spun towards the crowd. She did a power slide and stopped right in front of Tej and the rest.

She smiled as she got out of the car, and Tej handed her the money. She counted out 20,000 and handed it to Tej, who nodded to her and stuck the roll in his pocket. She smiled as Brian's arms slid around her and embraced her from behind. She sighed and leaned back against him, the cheers from the crowd becoming nothing but a murmur in the moment, _her _moment.

When she opened her eyes though, her eyes fell on someone she never wanted to see again. She saw Shane standing next to a black Honda Civic, and she noticed another young man with him, someone she had never seen before. Both of them had murderous glares on their faces. Finally, Shane and the other man got in the car and drove off.

She brushed it off and enjoyed the rest of her night with her friends, truly enjoying her new life.


	7. Found Her

**Chapter 8: Found Her**

The next day Mandy stumbled out of bed and got dressed, then went to the garage. She walked right over to the orange Supra Brian was working on, but Roman intercepted her.

"Yo Mandy, there's someone in the lobby waiting for you."

"Who?"

"She says she's a friend of yours, her name is Alicia."

Mandy's breath caught, but she nodded to Roman and walked into the lobby. There was her aunt sitting in a chair, looking calm and peaceful. She stood up when she saw Mandy.

"What are you doing here", Mandy asked.

"Shane stopped by yesterday. I brought something for you."

Alicia handed her an old, beat-up metal box. Alicia looked around at her surroundings then nodded thoughtfully. She stepped forward and embraced Mandy, then whispered in her ear.

"You know where I am if you ever need me."

Then Alicia turned and left. She got back in her shitty Honda and drove away. _Just like that? Why? Why is she being so easy_? Mandy walked back to the boat and carefully stashed the box under her side of the bed, then went back to work in the garage.

That night, she pretended to be asleep for Brian's sake, and she waited until she felt his breathing calm to the normal rhythm of sleep. She carefully slid out of bed and grabbed the metal box on the way out. She grabbed a beer from the fridge and went out to sit.

She gingerly undid the snaps on the lid and lifted the lid off and set it to the side. She lifted the items that were inside, 5 black-covered journals. She opened the cover and gasped when she saw that they were in her mother's handwriting. The first one had the latest date. She turned to the first page and started reading.

_**What am I to do now? I have a child on the way, I cannot keep on with this life-style, but what else can I do? My whole life, I have done nothing but race, how am I supposed to stop now? I can't. I will stop while I am with child, but after the birth, I must return. I have made too much for myself here in Miami. I can not just leave it all behind. The streets is where I belong. I belong on the start line, revving my import turbo with the others. **_

_**That is what I have done my whole life, and I have no plans to stop permanently. This is what I live for, and I fully intend to keep living. Derrick will have to help me with the child. **_

_**It still feels strange to know that I have a child on the way, that before long, I will be a mother. I can only hope that I have a daughter. The streets needs more women on the track, behind the wheels. **_

Mandy gasped as her mind registered what it was reading. Her mother had been a street-racer. She couldn't believe this. Derrick, that had been her father. _Was dad a street racer too? _Her father had also died in a car collision when she was 2. _Was he racing when he died?_

Her mind was swarming with unanswered questions. How could this be? Her eyes went back to the text and she read more in the journals.

_**Derrick won the race tonight. I love it when I see his car zip across the line. I find that every time he gets in a car, I unconsciously hold my breath, surprising myself when I release it as he wins. I love it when he gets out of his car and walks over and embraces me. It's the best feeling in the world, to be hugged by someone you love, that loves you. **_

_**Derrick raced a newcomer tonight, and we both saw that the kid has some talent. Tej Parker, he's a young man with a big future ahead of him, if only he'd trash his Ford and get a car worth racing. If he would do that, then he would be one of the best teens out on the strips. **_

_**After the race, then me and Derrick went out to our favorite beach. We lit a bonfire and sat beside it, staring at the wide, peaceful, calm ocean. I sat between his legs, leaning against his chest for hours, and together, we watched the sunrise, making the ocean glitter with different colors, making it the prettiest thing I had ever seen. **_

_**Even though I do not race, I do go and watch Derrick. He is a brilliant racer, and together, both of us are helping Tej get better at the sport. He managed to pawn enough of his old stuff and sell his Ford to get an Acura NSX. When all three of us get done modifying it, Tej will be almost unbeatable. **_

_**I saw a Skyline today. I love those cars, and I would love to have one. When the times comes, I will get a Skyline, and then I will be virtually unbeatable, and me and Derrick can support our family doing what we love. **_

Mandy was crying by now, tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't even hear Brian get up, but soon his arms were wrapped around her.

"Mandy? What's wrong?" Mandy didn't answer him. He looked over her shoulder at the journals and read a few lines.

"Who's are those?"

"My mother's. My mother that died."

"She knew Tej?"

"She was a street racer. So was my father. God Brian, I had no idea. That's why Alicia wasn't pissed at me."

She looked up and Brian had a very thoughtful look on his face. "Mandy, what was your mother's name?"

"Alice. Alice Carlton."

Brian groaned. "Oh my god."

"What? What?"

"Alice Carlton was a member of our team. When she died, we drafted you."

"You mean even then, my mother was _still _racing?" Brian just looked at her and nodded.

"Then she was never a ER RN?"

"She was at Tej's almost every night working on the cars. I don't think she had medical training. Did someone tell you how she died?"

"Cops came to my door and told me she had died in a rollover accident."

"Well, that's true, except…" Brian started but faded out.

"Go on."

"Except, the roll over accident was intentional."

"_WHAT __**ARE **_you saying Brian? Are you trying to tell me that my mother _**COMMITTED SUICIDE?**_"

**AN: Hehe, sorry to leave it like that. Now that more of the story line is revealed, what do ya think? R&R. I will try to update soon!**


	8. The Truth

**The Truth**

**AN: Sorry it took me so long to update guys! Here's the rest of it!**

"Mandy! Stop! God no! I knew your mother, and she would _never _do something like that! I'm saying someone _**murdered**_ your mother."

Mandy stopped. Her mind was having a hard time processing all of this, and she gulped in several large lung-fulls of air, right on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Just calm down, alright", Brian started, but Mandy cut him off.

"Brian! How do you expect me to do that! I just found out that both my dead parents were street-racers, and that my mother was _murdered _and probably my dad was too!"

"Mandy! Listen, the team and I, especially Tej, have been trying to solve this and deliver justice alright! We _need _you but first you need to calm the fuck down! Breath slower."

Mandy desperately tried to calm down, and eventually Brian wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth, helping quite a bit. When her breathing slowed to the rate of a sleeping person, Brian saw that she was indeed sound asleep. He sighed and lifted her up, gently placing her on the bed.

The next morning, Mandy woke up and found Brian lying in bed beside her, calmly reading a book.

"Mornin bedhead. About time you woke up. I already talked to Tej and everyone else, we're gonna have a meeting as soon as you get ready."

Mandy groaned and rolled over, then forced herself to get up. She gulped down some coffee as she was dressing and then grabbed the box that Alicia had brought her.

Together, her and Brian walked to the same meeting room and sat down, then calmly waited for the others. Brian sent out a few texts, then everyone else showed up. Tej was the first to speak.

"So…I hear that you're Alice's daughter. I knew both Alice and Derrick, they helped me get established in the racing world and helped me get my first car. I still have that car too."

"Yeah. Acura NSX?"

"How'd you know? Alice talk to about me?"

"Nah man. She had written some diaries. That's how I found out about her profession."

"Alright. As I'm sure Brian has told you, we believe, we know that your mother was murdered."

Mandy felt her heart rate raising, and Brian grabbed her hand under the table.

"Why", she managed to sputter.

"We ain't the only gang on the streets. There's several more, and one, HeavyTread, well we _really _don't get along with them."

Roman put several big manila folders on the desk and slid them over to her. She opened them and found that they were police folders.

"How the hell did you guys get this shit? This police stuff."

"I used to be a cop", Brian spoke up. "I got friends that help me out with some things."

Mandy looked at Brian and her eyes grew hard.

"Don't worry. Homie ain't got a badge no more", Roman spoke up.

Mandy looked back to the folders and looked through them. Just a bunch of boring police reports on several people that she had never met. Then she opened one and Shane's picture stared back at her.

"Your old boyfriend seems to be part of HeavyTread. We still can't decide if he came here to fight over you or because he was part of them", Suki spoke up.

She opened the last one and almost screamed. They were pictures and the police report for her mother's accident. There was her mother's burning Hyundai Sonata. Her mother's unseeing eye's staring up at the camera lens after the paramedics had pronounced her dead.

Mandy's body was frozen, she couldn't stand to look at them, but she couldn't put them down either. Brian gently reached over and took them from her, flashing an angry glare at Roman. Finally, Mandy was able to speak again.

"So who killed her? HeavyTread?"

"We believe so. The night she died, she beat the leader on his own home track, and took 200,000 of his money when she won. It was the biggest race either of them had ever participated in, but she came out victorious, and he didn't like it very much. She also won his car."

"And which one of these bozos is the leader?" Tej reached forward and took out a folder, opened it, and slapped it in front of her. Mandy noticed that it was the same guy she had seen with Shane and the Honda Civic that one night.

"Corey Hernandez. One of the biggest assholes in Miami, second only to Blondie here", Roman said playfully.

"So where do we go from here", Mandy asked. "What have you guys found out?"

"Your mother was headed home on highway 10 at 4:45 in the morning, driving her civilian Sonata. The opposite driver was at fault, ramming your mother's car head on at a speed upwards of 120. That car was reinforced with a roll bar, the guilty driver escaped unscathed, and the car was unregistered. We can't track it, except, that Bri and I both saw that car with HeavyTread the night your mother won that race. Since you've joined our crew, it's possible that the trouble will come to us, Shane's already been here once asking for an old fashioned ass kicking."

"I saw Shane and Corey at the race where I won", Mandy asked.

"Did they talk to you?"

"No. I saw them after I won, and they just stared at me for a little bit, then left. They were driving a black Honda Civic hatchback." Tej nodded deep in thought. Then a thought came to Mandy.

"Did HeavyTread kill my dad too?" Tej, as well as everyone else's eyes flicked to her, a mixture of sadness and pity.

"Yeah, they did. It took just about all we had to keep Alice from going after them herself."


	9. Paths Collide

**Paths Collide**

**LA-**

"I gotta go and find them Mia. I don't have any other choice."

"Dom! Come on! Yes you do! And you know damn good and well that Letty would not want you to go after them, she would want you to let it lie and be safe, keep _yourself __**alive**_."

"Mia! They killed Letty. They fucking drove a bullet into her skull! This is Letty we're talking about! My girlfriend! I can't let it lie."

Mia sighed deeply. She knew that Dom had made up his mind, and when that was done, there was no changing it. But how do you say goodbye to your only brother? They were standing out in the driveway next to the Charger that Dom had fixed since he had rolled it after racing Brian. She took a deep breath then hugged him.

"Be careful", she whispered into his ear.

She stepped back, and he nodded towards her, then got in the car. As she watched the car drive away, she hoped that soon she would see that car pulling back into the driveway.

Dom drove all day and well into the next before stopping. He had made it half way. He stopped at a slummy motel. After some rest and food he got back on the road, and didn't stop again until he had entered Miami.

He drove around the darkened streets, enjoying what he saw. Miami was even more vibrant then LA. After he avenged Letty's death, he might just have to move Mia down here. But for now, he needed to find HeavyTread, he had a serious beef to settle with them. They had killed Letty, _his _girl. His Letty, and he wouldn't stop until they had paid dearly for their crime.

He pulled onto one street was greeted by a bunch of cars lined up and ready to race. He smiled and parked his car, getting out, then locking it. He was right out in front of a place called Tej's Garage. _I gotta find out who runs this shit, I want in. Need the money._

Dom walked around for a while, then he stopped dead. His blood boiled for a second at the person he saw, then he calmed, remembering how that blonde man _had _helped them.

"Brian Spilner", Dom said as he walked up.

Brian looked his way, and his eyes widened in terror. Dom chuckled a little bit, but made it sound menacing, just to scare the piss out of Brian. That did give him a little pleasure.

"Dom! What the hell are you doing here?"

"What, that's all the 'hello' I get? No parade, not even a I'm sorry for betraying you card?" Brian gulped, and Dom's chuckles turned to laughter.

"Chill it O'Conner. I'm not here to kick your ass. I'm actually here to race, got room for one more?"

Brian smiled a little bit. "What ya driving man?"

"The Charger. Pretty sure I can smoke the ones already on the line."

Brian smiled wider. "I'd watch out for the Skyline. She's pretty fast. But hell yeah, lets go talk to Tej."

Brian turned and led him to a short black man. Dom negotiated with him, then handed him some money and pulled up to the line. A young Asian woman walked over to the middle and held up her arms. Dom revved the engine, making his car vibrate.

When the race started, he shot ahead of the others, even the Skyline, although she stayed close behind him. Tonight was a drag race. Dom's tachometer light went off, and he changed gears, the Skyline keeping pace with him.

They got most of the way to the finish line, and Dom was surprised the other driver hadn't used NOS yet. He sighed as he saw her getting ever closer, and then he pressed his own NOS button. As his car shot forward, so did the Skyline. Dom crossed the finish line about 2 inches in front of her.

They drove back to the start line, and Dom saw the girl smiling like and idiot as she got out. He shook his head, and watched her approach Brian and kiss him as Tej handed him his money.

"Hey Dom, wanna stick around for a few beers", Brian hollered to him.

"Nah man, I just drove from LA, I'm gonna hit the sack."

Brian nodded and waved to him as he slung his arm around the girl and walked into the garage. Dom got back in his car and tore out of there. Probably a little faster than usual, but hey, for him, going fast was fun, _really _fun.

It took Dom awhile to notice lights in his rearview, headlights that had kept up with him since he had left the races. He pulled over, loaded a gun and stuck it in his pants, just as two people were getting out of the Honda Civic that was following him.

"Why the hell are you guys following me?"

"When did you get into Miami", the tall Mexican asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Not really. My name is Corey Hernandez. I am the leader of a street racing gang, HeavyTread, and I saw you race. I am _very _impressed. Your driving style reminds me of one of my old team members, Letty I believe her name was, very good racer."

Dom clenched his fists at the mention of Letty's name. "What the hell is your point?"

"My point is that I would like to recruit you into my crew."

Dom had to check himself from smiling and laughing at how easy it had been. Sure, he _could _just kill them now, but he had a feeling that he could get some money out of it, and he wanted the _whole _team, not just Corey and his henchman.

"Go on."

"Follow us." Corey and the other man got back in the Honda as Dom got back in his car, then followed them to a garage on the opposite side of town. He was no longer tired, the adrenaline coursing through his veins took care of that.

The Honda parked and it's occupants got out, then walked into the garage, leading Dom behind them. They came to an open room and took seats.

"If you join us, which you have no choice now, you will be expected to hand over ¾ of your winnings, and you have to cover half of the buy in."

"And if I don't?" Dom had already made up is mind, but he didn't want to seem too anxious. As soon as those words came out of his mouth, 5 guns were trained on him. He slowly raised his hands and smiled.

"Alright then. I'm in."

The guns were put away, and Corey smiled. Dom had a sudden urge to jump up and beat the breath out of that man, but he painstakingly put himself in check.

"Come here tomorrow night. And, one more thing. You are friends with Brian O'Conner and Tej's Team, correct?" Dom nodded, not seeing what harm that could do.

"Me? Not so good friend with them. If you talk to them again, any of them, I will personally put a bullet in your head." Corey lit a cigarette, waving him on and Dom left, with out another look back.


	10. Found HerFind Me

**Found Her…Find Me**

**2 Weeks After Dom's Arrival In Miami-**

"You're so beautiful in the setting sun", Brian commented as he brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Mandy smiled and dug her toes into the sand, enjoying the cool grittiness she felt. She couldn't ask for any more than an empty beach, a beautiful sunset, and Brian.

Brian finished his beer, then stood up, holding his hand down to help her up. She grabbed it and stood up, then walked with him back to the parking lot. She was in the process of unlocking the door for Brian, when she heard the scream of a high-performance engine. Some how, she immediately knew it was danger, and she ducked as the bullets started flying. She managed to glimpse a Ford Mustang, and from that moment, she truly hated Shane.

The car soon screeched out of the parking lot, leaving them alone again. Mandy stood up, then she heard someone groan. Her blood ran cold, as she rushed over the passenger side of her car. She almost screamed when she saw an extremely pale Brian laying in a pool of his own blood, clutching his stomach.

She fell to her knees beside him and took his head in her hands, forcing him to look at her. One bloody hand reached up and stroked her cheek before falling limp to the ground and his eyes closed. Mandy screamed, it was a mixture of pain, fear, terror, and anger.

Her blood ran cold as she heard the sound of another motor. A big black Dodge Charger pulled in and slid to a stop. A big, white, bald man got out and rushed towards them.

"Back off", she screamed at him. She didn't want anyone coming near her or Brian.

He held up his hands. "It's alright! I'm Dom! I'm an old friend of Brian's! I swear, I'm here to help, then I'm taking down that little punk driving Ford."

Mandy calmed down a little bit and let him near. He pushed two fingers into Brian's neck, while the other hand held a phone to his ear. He gave someone some information, then got up.

"An ambulance is on its way. If you and I wanna stay away from the law, then we need to get out of here." Mandy didn't want to leave Brian, but she knew he was right. She kissed Brian on the lips, then took one last look at her totaled car, then got in the passenger side of the Charger.

Mandy sighed as she looked at the man.

"How much do you know about HeavyTread", she asked.

He glanced at her, then he gripped the steering wheel.

"They killed my girlfriend, that's why I came Miami. Right now, I work for them, but only until I can take out my revenge. I sure as hell didn't sign up for shooting Brian. Corey told Shane that he could take out Brian, so I followed the kid. You?""Shane? Used to date him. Corey? He killed my mother and my father. And is swear to god if Brian dies, I'm gonna rip him to pieces."

"Where to kid. I ain't with HeavyTread anymore, I didn't sign up for this shit, I'm with you."

Mandy smiled. "Tej's Garage."


	11. One ChanceDon't Let It Pass You By

**One Chance-Don't Let It Pass You By**

Dom pulled his Charger up to Tej's Garage, and Mandy and him got out, walking into the garage area where the rest were stuck in a game of poker, Tej winning…again.

"Mandy? Where's Brian", Roman asked.

"Should be at the hospital now." Everyone turned to look at her.

"HeavyTread. Shane did a drive by, shot the fuck out of my car and shot Brian. This is Dom Toretto, one of Brian's old friends, that _was _working for HeavyTread, but only to avenge the death of his girlfriend. He's with us now, and willing to help us take down HeavyTread."

"Is Bullet gonna be okay", Suki asked, worry marring her face.

"Don't know. I'm gonna take down Shane and Corey, then I'll see to him. Last I saw him he was unconscious. My mother was a street racer, and around me, she drove a stock Sonata. Where's her race car, and the car she won off of Corey?"

Tej nodded and got up. He led her to a part of the garage in the back that she had never even noticed, let alone been in. There were three cars there, all of them had covers on them. He walked to the first one that had a Mazda symbol on it and ripped off the cover. It was a 2004 Mazda RX-8, painted light blue in the front and then fading to black in the back.

"This is the car she won off of Corey. She never even got a chance to drive it."

He walked to another one that had the Mitsubishi symbol, and took the cover off of this one as well. It was a 2001 Mitsubishi 3000GT. It was black as the main body color, and the decals were metallic silver. The decals were thousands of tiny Mitsubishi symbols coming up from the wheels in waves, making them look like dust going to the back.

"This was her regular racer. She loved this car so much, she would never let another mechanic touch it. If something needed to be done on it, she would do it, and if she needed help, I would be the one to help her."

"What's the other car?"

"That's the car that your dad and mom helped me get. It's the Acura NSX."

He walked over to the car and ripped off the cover. She looked at it then nodded, then turned back to the 3000GT. She was in love with this car immediately.

"When are you planning on going after them?"

"ASAP. They killed my parents, they might have killed Brian. I ain't letting that stand anymore."

Tej nodded. "Keys are in the ignition."

Tej got in his Acura and started it up, then followed Mandy out to the main garage, parking in front of the others. Both Tej and Mandy got out to address them.

"Alright, listen up people! HeavyTread killed Alice and Derrick, and the may have killed Brian.""And Letty", Dom added.

Tej nodded to him. "We ain't letting this shit stand anymore, its time someone showed these wannabe motherfuckers who runs the damn streets in Miami. We're going after them right now!"

Roman and Suki stood up and nodded their approval. Tej turned towards Dom.

"What can you tell us about where their gonna be now and what the best plan of action is?"

"Their hosting a race tonight in front of their garage. It's not gonna very big, we storm in there, their gonna scramble. There's 5 of them, and 5 of us. Once they scramble, their goes their back up, and we each can get one. It'll be that simple. My guess is that Corey and Shane will stick close together, so me and Mandy will get on them. My guess is that they'll get on highway 10 to try to put some miles between us, but I know the charger can keep up."

"The 3000GT can keep up too. I know that's a fast car. We're gonna need a plan of eradication though."

Dom walked to his Charger and popped the trunk. He got out two duffel bags and set them on the ground. He unzipped the first and pulled out 4 shot guns, fully loaded and extra ammo.

"The people with the shotguns will have to be able to drive _and _fire a shotgun. We can aim for the wheels, that'll make them wreck."

He unzipped the other bags and took out other guns.

"Alright! Load up people! Dom leads. Mandy, stick with Shane, Dom, you got Corey, I'll get Jason, Suki, you get Michael, and Roman, get Danny."

Roman stepped forward for 2 of the shot guns, which Dom handed over. Mandy got her weapons, then all of them got in their cars, Mandy staying right behind Dom. She loved the 3000GT, and she could definitely see her mother in it.

Dom suddenly sped up, and Mandy sped up with him. All of them fishtailed around a corner, then came to as screeching stop in front of HeavyTread's garage. Dom got out, shotgun in hand, and HeavyTread scrambled to their cars. Dom fired a couple warning shots at the building before going back to his car.

Mandy saw Shane's car speed out, and she accelerated to keep up with him. She saw Corey coming up behind her, and Dom behind him. She had lost track of the others. Corey slammed on his accelerator, and slammed his front end into Mandy's back. She lost control of her car for a second, it spinning sideways, before she shifted gears and righted the car.

She looked out her window and saw Corey pointing a gun at her. She exhaled and she felt sure she was going to die. Then Corey's car was slammed from behind by Dom and his Charger. Mandy sucked in another breath and concentrated on Shane, who was heading for Highway 10, just like Dom had predicted. She looked in her rearview and saw Corey and Dom still battling it out. Behind them was the rest of her team and the rest of HeavyTread.

She accelerated with Shane, then swung out beside him. She fumbled with the buttons to roll down the passenger window, and got her gun ready. Shane looked at her, then smiled and winked. He slammed on his accelerator and pressed some NOS. He shot ahead of Mandy, weaving through cars. Mandy knew the 3000GT had enough to keep up without NOS. She slammed on the gas, following Shane, leaving the rest behind.

She saw Shane zigzagging through cars, then he shot right between two Semis trying to pass each other. Mandy took a deep breath and then followed him. As she was between the two semi's, they started moving.

Her breath caught, but she kept herself in check and didn't panic. She turned her wheel slightly and slide between the wheels of one, then out the other side onto the shoulder, accelerating again.

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you want it, _

_You better never let it go, go, go._

_You only get one shot. _

_Do not miss your chance to blow._

_Opportunity comes once in a life time, go!_

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you want it,_

_You better never let it go, go, go._

_You only get one shot._

_Do not miss your chance to blow._

_Opportunity comes once in a life time, go!_

Shane was a bit farther ahead now, but she wouldn't, couldn't, lose him. She sped up and got right beside him again. He looked over at her, then jerked his wheel, making his car aim right for hers. She slammed on the brake, then sped up again. He kept swerving all over the road, but she stayed behind him. She rolled down the driver's window and aimed her gun at his car. She fired the first shot, but only got a tail light.

She aimed again, then fired another shot. This time, she didn't get the wheel like she was aiming, but she got his gas tank. The back end of the car erupted in flames, and then the whole back end of the car shot up of the ground with the force of the explosion, and then started rolling.

She started slowing down, not wanting to be clipped by his car, and watched as his car slammed into the railings of a bridge, and then fell off the over pass. She sped up again, then got off at the first exit she saw. She started heading back towards Tej's when her phone rang.

"You guys take care of the rest", she asked as she answered.

"Yeah girl, we got 'em. Come on back to the garage." She hung up and finished her drive to the garage. The rest were waiting for her when she got back.

"You kill him or just wreck him", Roman asked as she got out of her car.

"His gas tank exploded and he slammed into a bridge. I'm pretty sure he's dead."

Brian's eye's suddenly shot open, and he had no idea what had happened or where the hell he was. He closed his eyes again in an attempt to clear his thinking, then he remembered everything. He remembered the beach with Mandy, then the gunshots. He looked around at his surroundings and figured he was in the hospital.

He tried to talk, but found that there was something in his throat that prevented him from doing so. There were tubes in his arms, and several stuck in his chest, and he couldn't _believe _the kind of pain he was in.

Even worse, he couldn't remember if Mandy was alright, he couldn't remember anything after he was shot. Finally a doctor came in with several nurses, and he started struggling, not knowing what was happening to him. There was prick in his neck, and everything went black again.

When Brian woke again, he felt something on his hand, and noticed that someone else was clasping his hand. Mandy's head laid on the bed beside his leg, her eyes closed peacefully, her fingers twined in his. He took a deep breath, and found the tube had been taken out of his throat.

He gently untangled their hands, then brushed some hair from her face. Her eyes fluttered open and met his. She was up in a second, locking her lips with his. When they broke apart, they both smiled.

"Water", he managed to croak.

She got him a cup and handed to him. When he was done, she took it from him and set it down. He looked at her then.

"Are you alright Mandy?"She smiled. "Brian, as long as your okay, I'll be okay. A guy named Dom Toretto, said he knew you, helped me and the rest take down HeavyTread after you were shot. HeavyTread doesn't exist anymore."

Brian smiled at that. "How long have I been in here?"

"3 weeks. They said you can come home as soon as tomorrow. You got shot 4 times, take it easy."

He lifted his hand, only wincing slightly, and placed it on her cheek. He looked into her eyes, and she looked right back into his.

"I love you Miranda Carlton."

"I love you too Brian O'Conner."


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Mandy stared straight ahead at the tombstone in front of her. It had been exactly 4 months ago that her mother had died. She brushed a stray leaf from the top, then set the bundle of roses on the ground. Then she got up and walked back to her 3000GT.

She got in and fired it up, then sped off. She stopped in front of her old house and knocked on the door. Alicia opened it and was surprised to see Mandy on her doorstep. Mandy stepped forward and hugged Alicia. Alicia stepped back and let her in. She hesitated, then grabbed two beers from the fridge.

"How long did you know that mom was a street racer", Mandy asked.

"Since she started. I guess you finally figured it out huh?"

"Yeah I did. I also figured out that the team I was working for was her old team, and that she was murdered. After the opposing team pissed me off royally, I went after them with some help, my mother is finally avenged."

"Yeah, I saw something about that on the news. You moving back in with me Mandy?"

Mandy shook her head. "Nah. But you stop by the garage any time you want. You should come to the race tonight. Right in front of Tej's Garage. I'll be racing my mom's old car."

Mandy stood up and left, then drove back to Tej's Garage. She nodded to the others, Dom and Mia arguing about something, then made her way to the boat out back. She walked in and saw Brian passed out in bed. It had been 5 days since he came home, and he mostly laid in bed. She ignored the thick, slightly bloody bandages taped to his stomach and chest, and gently kissed him on the lips…

Mandy sat on the starting line, revving her engine. She looked to the side-lines and saw Alicia standing on the sidelines cheering her on. She looked at Suki as she walked out to the middle and raised her arms. As the arms came down, she slammed on her gas and she was off-doing what she loved, what she lived for.


End file.
